Heat removal is a prominent factor in computer system and data center design. The number of information technology (IT) components such as servers deployed within a data center has steadily increased as the server performance has improved, thereby increasing the amount of heat generated during the ordinary operation of the servers. The reliability of servers housed within a data center decreases if the environment in which they operate is permitted to increase in temperature over time. A significant portion of the data center's power is used for thermal management of electronics to maintain their proper operating thermal environment.
Direct liquid cooling for server is becoming a popular thermal management solution. In comparison with direct/indirect air cooling, direct liquid cooling enables server/rack with a higher heat density and removes heat with better power efficiency. For example, a typical indirect air cooling infrastructure requires chiller plants and Computer room air handler/conditioner units that consume a large portion of power running the chiller and/or fans units. A direct liquid cooling solution may provide the equivalent cooling capacity with less power needed while eliminating such a chiller unit. However, direct liquid cooling adds complicity to server and rack design, maintenance, ease of use, and deployment.